Transcript Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss:New Opportunities for EU

Climate Change and
Biodiversity Loss:
New Opportunities for EU
Development Cooperation
Why?
Jean-Claude Jacques
Director, EU Liaison Office
IUCN Regional Office for Europe
The World Conservation Union
Climate change: a critical issue for least
developed countries
• Recent hurricanes in Guatemala, Mexico and the Caribbean
• Desertification in sub-Sahara Africa
• Floods in Bangladesh
Climate change could lead to vast
displacement of populations, including in
regions close to Europe
Is it possible to finance development without taking such an issue
into account?
The World Conservation Union
Biodiversity and ecosystem loss:
a critical issue for all developing countries
Ecosystems provide water, wood, fish, bushmeat,
medicines and plants, which local and indigenous
communities mainly rely on for their day-to-day life
But…
• 60% of ecosystems are degraded or no
longer sustainably used
• 35% of mangroves and 20% of coral reefs
have been lost
• Species’ extinction rates are estimated to be
between 100 and 1,000 times higher than the
natural extinction rate
Is it possible to finance development without taking such an
issue into account?
The World Conservation Union
But biodiversity loss is also worsening
climate change
Deforestation accounts for 20%
of global CO2 emissions, making
Indonesia the third highest
emitter globally, after the USA
and China.
Is it possible to finance development without taking such an
issue into account?
The World Conservation Union
Climate change and biodiversity loss
are still not on the Development Cooperation
agenda…
WHY?
Council Conclusions (December 2006) welcoming the
Message from Paris (Biodiversity in European Development
Cooperation):
“Mainstreaming of ecosystem services and biodiversity in
development cooperation programming .... must be founded
on national and regional ownership ...”
The World Conservation Union
Ecosystem services and
climate change are still not
priority issues in countries
which face so many other
development priorities.
HOW can these issues be
given higher priority on the
development agendas of
partner countries?
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1. Drastically revise the current strategy
for the integration of the environment into
EU development cooperation
• Recognize that climate change and ecosystem services are a
central pillar to sustainable development and need addressing
systematically in bilateral development cooperation agreements
• Make all environmental documentation in the EC programming
process publicly available, to stimulate local ownership and
governance
• Use political dialogue to raise the profile of environmental issues
during the programming process
The World Conservation Union
2. Fully implement existing commitments
• EU Action Plan on Climate Change and Development
(2004)
• European Consensus on Development (2006)
• Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and beyond (2006)
AND…
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Follow up the Message from Paris and
Council Conclusions (2006):
• Include biodiversity and ecosystem services in policy
dialogue processes with partner countries and regions
• Help partner countries and regions mainstream biodiversity
into development strategies and plans
• Strengthen civil society and develop capacity
building programmes
The World Conservation Union
Poverty Reduction and Environmental
Governance Initiative (PREGI)
• A response to the Message from Paris presented by IUCN
and partner organisations
• Addressing the challenge of helping 7 partner countries
(Algeria, Armenia, Bolivia, DR Congo, Mali, Nepal and Lao + 1
OCT (Mayotte))
+ 3 regional integration organisations (African Union, ASEAN,
Andean Community) to mainstream biodiversity and climate
change into their development agendas
• Enhancing dialogue at country level between governments
and civil society
The World Conservation Union
Poverty Reduction and Environmental
Governance Initiative (PREGI)
• Supporting the EC and EU Member States in better
mainstreaming biodiversity and climate change into development
cooperation programming
• Identifying financial mechanisms which ensure the sustainable
management of natural resources
• Disseminating lessons learnt
The World Conservation Union
Poverty Reduction and Environmental
Governance Initiative (PREGI)
• Total duration of 5 years
• Starting late 2007
• Seeking financial support from EC and EU Member States
• Support and involvement of the EP will be highly needed!
See: http://countdown2010.net/paris2006/
The World Conservation Union
Thank you for
your attention!
www.iucneurope.org
http://countdown2010.net/paris2006
[email protected]
The World Conservation Union